The present invention relates to a dual motion blocking sled. In the prior art, blocking sleds are known. However, Applicant is unaware of any prior art teaching all of the aspects of the present invention.
The following prior art is known to Applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,410 to Gilman discloses a football training sled having a plurality of upstanding spring members fastened to a sled frame having a plurality of cross members. The present invention differs from the teachings of Gilman for many reasons, but particularly as including only a single cross member to hold a multiplicity of blocking elements together to move in unison.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,690 to Rogers discloses a blocking sled having a pad D mounted on a post 56 which is reciprocably received within an elongated receptacle 52. The user may engage the pad D and may reciprocate the pad D with respect to the frame of the device by reciprocating the post 56 within the receptacle 52. If desired, the user may lift the entire assembly with the runners thereof partially leaving the ground, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The present invention differs from the teachings of Rogers as contemplating a blocking sled wherein reciprocatory and pivoting movements of a pad may be carried out by the user while the runners of the associated frame remain firmly on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,456 to Sherman discloses a football training device including a plurality of simulated helmets mounted on a frame in a reciprocatory manner and including the provision of spring biasing means and position adjustment. The present invention differs from the teachings of Sherman as contemplating a blocking sled wherein reciprocatory and pivoting movements of a pad may be concurrently carried out while the runners of the device remain firmly on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,571 to Rogers discloses a stance training apparatus including a pad D mounted on a post 14 reciprocably received within a receptacle 16 mounted on the frame of the device. The present invention differs from the teachings of Rogers as contemplating the combination of reciprocatory and pivoting movements while the runners remain firmly on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,089 to Forrest, Applicant herein, discloses a football lineman trainer including individual stations having pads which may be pivoted but not reciprocated with respect to the associated frame. The present invention differs from the teachings of Forrest as contemplating the combination of reciprocatory and pivoting movements while the runners of the device remain firmly on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,341 to Carrington discloses a pass-blocking sled having a pivotable arm designed to be engaged by a player in practicing pass-blocking techniques. The present invention differs from the teachings of Carrington as contemplating a combination of reciprocatory and pivoting movements with the pivoting movements including lifting movements which are nowhere taught or suggested by Carrington.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,039 to Cole discloses a sports training apparatus comprising a blocking sled having pads pivotally connected to a frame assembly. The present invention differs from the teachings of Cole as contemplating a pivoting movement which includes a lifting component combined with horizontal reciprocation. This combination of movements is nowhere taught or suggested by Cole.
As should be understood from the description of the above discussed prior art, Applicant is unaware of any prior art blocking sled which allows the user to closely simulate situations which will occur during an actual football game. In particular, when a blocker on the offensive line of a football team is blocking a defensive lineman or other defender, movements in several directions and planes occur simultaneously. It is rare that a defensive lineman charges an offensive lineman without moving vertically during horizontal movement. It is equally rare for a defensive lineman to merely lift upwardly on an offensive lineman without attempting to move beyond the offensive lineman and to a position in the backfield. As such, devices such as those described above are not suitable for training an offensive lineman to anticipate actual game conditions.
Thus, the Rogers patents only effectively teach resisting direct forward charge of a defensive player. The lift illustrated in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,690 does not realistically portray actual game conditions because such movement would be resisted by the dead weight of the entire device which includes a plurality or multiplicity of individual pad units. Furthermore, Applicant's prior patent, while it effectively simulates a lifting motion on the part of a defensive player, fails to simulate simultaneous lifting and charging movements by a defensive player. As such, a need has developed for a blocking sled which allows closer simulation of actual game conditions. It is with this goal in mind that the present invention was developed.